1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to file cards and pertains particularly to a file card having improved clip means for holding paper slips and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In my prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,383 I disclose a coupon organizing and dispensing apparatus for shoppers to use in a supermarket or similar store environment. The dispensing apparatus includes an elongated housing or frame which houses a coupon holder. The coupon holder includes a rotary mechanism to which coupon file cards are removably mounted. The rotary mechanism is made up of a shaft journaled to the frame and having knobs disposed at each end for manually rotating the shaft. Circumferential rods or rails spaced apart along the shaft extend around the shaft and are adapted to removably hold the coupon file cards. The file cards are capable of removably holding store discount coupons in a fixed position.
When the shaft is turned by manually rotating the knobs, the shaft operates to sequentially present coupon file cards containing coupons for the shopper to visually inspect, remove and redeem for a purchased item to be discounted by the coupon's stated amount. Alternatively, the coupon file cards may be mounted in the housing in other suitable ways. The coupon apparatus also includes a calculator for the shopper's use and a storage bin to hold coupons selected for redemption.
The housing is formed with a lower notch or hook adapted to engage and hook to a handle of a shopping cart. The notch is also capable of serving as a carrying handle for when the apparatus is being transported by the shopper. The file cards have a clip on one face and are capable of removably holding store discount coupons, or other similar paper slips, in a fixed position. While that apparatus was designed primarily to hold store discount coupons, it is useable to hold many other slips of paper such as business cards, receipts, recipes, tickets and many other articles in the form of slips of paper or the like.
The clip as originally illustrated in the patent proved to be unsatisfactory in that it could not consistently and reliably hold paper slips. A further design as illustrated in FIG. 1 also proved unsatisfactory for other reasons. In that design a card 10 of somewhat rigid material has a strip, or overlay of semi-rigid material which is folded over with a hard or sharp crease 12 forming two panels. The crease is positioned off center forming a long panel 14 and a short panel 16 which together form the clip. The long panel is formed with a free edge 18 secured along an outer edge of card 10. The short panel has a free edge 20 extending toward the card 10 forming a gripping edge of the clip. The free edge is pressed toward the card surface with enough force to removeably hold one or more sheets of paper or cardboard.
However, the design has some drawbacks. One problem encountered was that the gripping edge 20 would occasionally hang up on the slip or coupon being pulled and be pulled out from under the longer panel distending the short panel rendering it non-functional. It required pushing back into its original position to again become functional. Another problem with that design was its inability to hold multiple slips of thin material such as paper. Even though several slips could be inserted fully under the clip, the combined thickness caused them to engage the underside of the longer panel pushing it out and preventing the short panel exerting sufficient force to hold the multiple slips. Accordingly, it is desirable that a clip for a paper slip holding card be available that is reliable and effective to hold multiple coupons or other similar paper slips.